Bhubaneswar: No sooner the Odisha-based designer duo landed in Russia, mother nature greeted them with snow, as if an impromptu welcome gesture.

After a two-day calendar shoot at beautiful locales of St Petersburg showcasing their Indian bridal and western wear, Dinendra Pratap Singh Deo and Roshan Kumar Sahoo of Posh Affair Designer Lounge are back in city.

The shoot at St Petersburg

“The churches and monuments reflecting the grandeur and history of the place never fail to amaze. We always wanted to shoot our first calendar against these backdrops and finally could fly with six models for it,” said Dinendra.

The shoot at St Petersburg at sub-zero temperature

“We braved sub-zero temperature for the shoot. The models were very cooperative despite the freezing conditions,” he expressed.

The calendar-2018 will be launched in January along with their new Indo-western collection. Even as preparations for the event is on, the designer duo is already planning their next shoot in Europe.

Dinendra Pratap Singh Deo with the models during the calendar shoot in St Petersburg

Dinendra and Roshan have been working with brocades for their exclusive bridal wear for the last two seasons. The embossed-woven silk with classy cut and finish spins magic for the bride on her big day. “Initially, people wanted lehenga that is all glitter and glam. I had to persuade them to go for the more subtle yet classy brocade, which would enrich their wedding ensemble and give it an entire different feel,” said 24-year-old Roshan.

‘Aaj Ki Dulhan’ collection at DNA Fashion Connect in Jaipur

Their collection ‘Aaj Ki Dulhan’ was well received at the recent DNA Fashion Connect held at the Pink City of Jaipur.

Showcasing the bridal wear at DNA Fashion Connect in Jaipur

These alumni of KIIT School of Fashion Technology have also participated in the fourth edition of Mysore Fashion Week, Kanpur Fashion Night and Bhubaneswar Style Week, and a few more are already lined up in the months ahead. “The Mysore show was one of our best. We could sell almost 60% of our western collection showcased,” said Dinendra, who is only a year older to Roshan.

The Mysore Fashion Week

Roshan was excited to see the super models donning their clothes. “I had earlier seen them sashay down the ramp in clothes by the likes of Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi. The joy of seeing them wearing ours is something inexplicable,” he said.

The Mysore Fashion Week

The duo, now, has dedicated clientele both in Odisha, India and abroad. “In the last couple of years, we have been able to win the trust of our clients, who now seek suggestion from us and are ready to experiment with different designs,” said Roshan, adding those from my state are a priority for me.

Ikat remains their favourite Odisha textile. “We used Ikat and Sambalpuri silk in our collection for Bhubaneswar Style Week. Clients from Germany and Denmark come to us with Sambalpuri silk sarees and ask us to create lehenga and choli for them. People in Odisha are a little conservative while trying out these yarns,” said Roshan, who loves to play with bold colours.

The young designer duo

Even as the Bhubaneswar-based young designers work on Indian fabric in different patterns and western cuts, they hope to see more people in Odisha opening up to experiments and not limiting themselves to the imaginary boundary. “Fashion is all about what you wear and how you carry it. And at Posh Affair Designer Lounge, we are creating a label with designs that will be forever,” signed off the duo.